1. Network Update February 2017
AELP Regional
Network Update February 2017
AELP Regional Network Update
January 2017

2. Apprenticeship Reforms

3. Recent Government Updates :
Apprenticeship Reform – Updated Funding Rules:
SFA Update:
Adult Education Budget – Funding rates and formula:
Apprenticeship Funding Bands:
Industrial Strategy consultation paper:

4. Institute of Apprenticeships (IfA)
The draft guidance, published by the DfE, sets out the IFA’s role. Consultation on the draft guidance closed on 31st January Full details of how the Institute for Apprenticeships will operate have been set out in an operational plan for consultation alongside the names of 8 members of the board appointed to run the institute.
Following consultation, the plan will set out how the Institute for Apprenticeships will deliver its functions to:
- improve the quality of apprenticeships
- regulate the quality of apprenticeship standards and assessment plans
- provide advice to government on the pricing of apprenticeship standards
- establish how the institute will collaborate with partners to drive quality across the apprenticeships system
- gain more information and insight on how we will lead the reforms to technical education

5. New minimum and living wage rates
New minimum and living wage rates apply from April 1st After this time, the new national minimum wage for apprentices aged under 19 (or aged 19 or over and in their first year of their apprenticeship) will rise to £3.50.

6. Funding and Levy info – areas for clarification
Negotiation of price may affect quality
16 – 18 year olds – lack of incentives for employers
Non-levy payers budget
Standards and Apprenticeship Assessment Organisations (AAOs)
Grade 4 (overall) providers
Maths and English funding and Level 2 requirements in intermediate apprenticeships
20% off the job training
Earlier confirmation of successful RoATP applicants to allow earlier planning
AELP continuing to address above areas for clarification
Providers encouraged to complete AELP survey and provide case studies of how they deliver 20% off the job training

7. Future Apprenticeship Support Programme

8. Future Apprenticeships Support Programme
The programme, which is designed to support staff in the delivery of high quality apprenticeships, includes one day workshops, intensive packages of support, on line resources, webinars, Provider Readiness Groups and the Provider Toolkit

9. Future Apprenticeships – links to
Phase 2 workshops
Everything you need to know about apprenticeships
Delivering the Apprenticeship Standards
 Subject areas include:
Adult Care, Healthcare, Customer Service & Business Administration, Digital (IT, Software, web & Telecoms), Hospitality, Transport & Logistics, Science, Team leading & Management, Engineering & Automotive, Hair & Beauty, Early Years

10. Additional Workshops –
New Themes and Dates:
Recruiting Learners onto Apprenticeship Standards 27th February Birmingham 1st March Newcastle Recruiting Learners onto Apprenticeship Standards
The Changing Role of Apprenticeship Delivery Teams 20th March Manchester 23rd March London
The Changing Role of Apprenticeship Delivery Teams

11. End Point Assessment Workshops – January and February 2017
For organisations who:
Want to apply to the Register of Apprenticeship Assessment Organisations (AAOs)
Want to provide staff and resources to registered AAOs
Are looking to form geographical or occupational collaborations to deliver End Point Assessment (EPA)
One day workshop and follow up call with action planning – for dates and booking please click the link below:
Delegates should be in a leadership position that will allow them to understand how the opportunity to get involved with end-point assessments fits with their organisation’s strategy

12. Development and Innovation - Masterclasses
The overarching aim of the masterclasses is to inspire providers and employers to think about how they can improve the quality of their delivery in the move from apprenticeships frameworks to apprenticeship standards. 
Tuesday, 28th February 2017 – Sheffield
Wednesday, 15th March Warwickshire
The master class is aimed at Strategic Leaders (including those involved in governance) and Senior Managers from providers of all types including employers who are providers. The masterclasses are proving very popular – if spaces are not available providers can apply to join the waiting list.
The masterclasses will be delivered through a combination of speaker input and breakout facilitated sessions that provide plenty of opportunities for delegates to explore how different approaches can be adapted, contextualised and incorporated to meet a range of different needs. Delegates will be encouraged to start to reflect on how they can apply the principles explored during the master class in their own organisation to develop innovation within their apprenticeship provision. 
Following the key note address there will be inputs from employers and providers about how they have moved their provision forward, thinking not just about the logistics of delivering apprenticeships standards, but also about how to develop cutting edge innovative approaches which have significant benefits for apprentices, providers and employers. 

13. End Point Assessment
The following sides provide a taster of the Future Apprenticeship End Point Assessment workshops detailed on slide 11

14. The role of the Apprenticeship Assessment Organisation (AAO)
conduct synoptic and independent end-point assessment of apprentices
adhere to specific arrangements or criteria set out in the assessment plan
quality assure end-point assessments they deliver
identify and record when the apprentice has passed the end- point assessment process
adhere to external quality assurance requirements

15. The assessment plan explains what will be assessed
explains how the apprentice will be assessed
indicates who will carry out the assessment and who will make the final decision on competency and grading
proposes internal and external quality assurance arrangements to make sure assessment is reliable and consistent across different locations, employers and training and assessment organisations
The most important document to be considered when applying to be an AAO
Will list assessor requirements and qualifications

16. The assessment plan should:
let an assessment organisation offer their services against it by making an application to the Register of Apprentice Assessment Organisations (RoAAO)
guide those organisations to enable them to deliver the EPA as designed by the employer group
be organisation-neutral - it must not name any specific training or assessment organisations
allow individual employers to have the freedom to select the assessment organisation from the register
From : The Future of Apprenticeships in England Guidance for Trailblazers - from standards to starts

17. End-point Assessment methods % of assessment plans (of 149 published)
Data as of November 2016 – shown as an example only to illustrate different types of assessment methods
Medium is important as the method i.e. skype/ipad
Portfolio – only recognised as an assessment method in earlier standards and only where AP states this!
Online tests require a large bank of questions i.e one test, 60 questions for 5 students requires a bank of 1800 questions! Some organisations now offering products and services for AAOs to buy resources i.e. question banks
E&D factors
ALS factors

18. External quality assurance
options proposed in the assessment plan by Trailblazer groups:
new organisation or approach (criteria in the guidance)
professional bodies
Ofqual
Institute for Apprenticeships
QAA (degree apprenticeships)
Note: if Ofqual is listed on the standard as the EQA then the AAO must be registered with Ofqual

19. Requirements of an assessment organisation
An end-point assessment organisation must:
have relevant occupational experience of the standard
have relevant assessment experience and expertise
robustly manage conflicts of interest
provide quality assurance of their activity
An end-point assessment organisation cannot:
deliver the learning elements to the same apprentice
deliver end-point assessment to non-apprentices
Organisations applying to the Register of Apprenticeship Assessment Organisations (RoAAO) will need to show independence from training delivery and have a clear conflict of interest policy in place that is understood by all staff.

20. The options…and there are others
apply as a provider independently
work in a consortium, reciprocally assessing
create a geographical or sectoral specialist
offer assessment nationally (national test centre)
act as a contractor for an AAO or one of the above

21. Challenges and risks to consider
What are the key challenges for us in becoming an AAO and how can these be mitigated?
What support and resources will we need to mobilise?
Who would regulate us as an AAO for each assessment plan?
What are the risks to our organisation?
What systems and processes would we need in place to manage the quality of end-point assessment?
What are the systems would we need in place to deal with issues of failure (complaints, assessment issues)?

22. More information (including dates and booking details) is available on the Future Apprenticeships website

23. Additional Information

24. Model Contract Offer for AELP members
Leading law firm - Bircham Dyson Bell
Providers to use with levy paying employers
Also be used with non levy payers and employers who use both systems
Access the document by ing BDB
Membership name and number
Free legal helpline
Substantial discount on any follow up legal work

25. Funding for Providers working with Employers
AoC, in partnership with AELP and HOLEX
Teach Too phase 3
£100,000 will be available for post-16 providers
10 funded projects – from March to September 2017
Looking for projects that will bring industry professionals and training providers together to build effective collaborative arrangements to help improve the design and delivery of vocational education courses
Invitation to tender available from Friday 27th January
Closing date – Friday 10th February
See for more information

26. AELP’s autumn Research Briefing
Apprenticeships starts and achievements data
Apprenticeships providers’ responses to reforms – key research findings
Advanced Learner Loans statistics
Unemployment, youth unemployment and NEET statistics
Adult skills in the digital age
Ofsted inspection reports

27. Further reading AELP Parliamentary Newsletter #22
AELP Briefing Paper No44 Apprenticeship Levy
Parliamentary Newsletter #22, includes:
Funding for SMEs’ apprenticeships
Ensuring apprenticeship opportunities for 16 to 18 year olds
Protecting the reputation of apprenticeships
Encouraging growth in traineeships
Call to end GCSE resits policy
82% of ITPs are good or outstanding
Skills Plan and the Industrial Strategy.
Levy Q&A also available on website – useful tool to use with staff

28. Summer two day conference – 26th & 27th June, Novotel London